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Shamanism
1. Use of the archaic techniques of ecstasy that were developed independent of any religious philosophy—the empirically validated, experientially operable techniques that produce ecstasy. Ecstasy is the contemplation of wholeness.
2. The religious psychic and spiritual practices of a shaman, and of the helpers, apprentices and crafts and community activities which support, assist or interact with the shaman in his or her work as a shaman. In a strict sense, shamanism has also been defined as the traditional religious systems of the native peoples of Central Asia, Siberia and the circumpolar region of the Northern Hemisphere. The term has also been applied more loosely to similar religious practices found in other areas of the world. —Dean Edwards
Shamanism is a system for psychic, emotional, and spiritual healing and for exploration, discovery, and knowledge gathering about non-material worlds and states of mind. —Stef Jones
Historical Shamanism: Traditional native systems and traditions of shamans and shamanism which existed in the past. Historical shamanism is believed to extend back many millennia and to be among the oldest human religious and spiritual practices. —Dean Edwards
Contemporary Shamanism: The practices of contemporary shamans and of the apprentices, assistants, helpers and clients under their instruction or of those individuals involved in working with or otherwise assisting the shaman in his or her work. —Dean Edwards
Traditional Shamanism: Native traditional practices of those who have acquired the ability to move into and perceive other worlds by means of "archaic techniques of ecstasy" and of the apprentices, assistants and helpers under their instruction and others who otherwise support, assist and work with shamans as they work in their communities. —Dean Edwards
Shamanism as practiced and handed down for centuries in a specific native or aboriginal culture. —Ann Albers
Non-traditional Shamanism: Often at least loosely based on one or more traditional shamanic systems, non-traditional shamanism is usually a hybrid of ecstatic techniques of shamanic journeying and other aspects of contemporary psychological, religious and spirituality. Rather than attempting to continue a pre-existing tradition, the non-traditional practitioner focuses on utilizing the ancient techniques of the shaman in ways appropriate to a modern audience. Some of the resulting systems and practices can no longer be properly called "shamanism." The proposed term "Post-Shamanic" is intended to address such gray areas as well as more fully developed systems and practices which contain shamanic elements. —Dean Edwards
Engaging in shamanic practice (i.e., entering the altered states, healing, communicating with spirit guides) using methods that haven't been passed down in the traditional manner (i.e., from master-to-apprentice) and/or aren't necessarily part of one's cultural heritage. —Ann Albers
Neo-shamanism: A movement which has grown out of a combination of environmentalism, popular anthropology and a growing desire for more open non-institutionalized forms of religion and spirituality. Since the early 1970's it has been gaining adherents in many western and (more recently in) former communist countries. Each individual is believed capable of becoming their own shaman usually under the instruction of a shamanic instructor or counselor. These new shamanic practices, termed "neo-shamanism" by Piers Vitebsky, (Ph.D., anthropologist and head of the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, England), in his book, The Shaman, (1995), have been influenced by popularization of certain aspects of Native American religious practices including spirit helpers and power animals. Among the leading instructors in the neo-shamanic movements are Michael Harner and Kenneth Meadows, authors of various books and who offer workshops and courses of study. Michael Harner is an anthropologist and a founder of The Institute for Shamanic Studies (now located in Marin County, in northern California).
In neo-shamanism, the states range from light altered states of consciousness to deep trance. Usually drumming, rattling or tapes are utilized to assist in inducing these "shamanic states". As is the case with Non-Traditional Shamanism, many aspects of Neo-Shamanism move far beyond what may properly be called shamanism. —Dean Edwards
The recent revival of shamanic techniques in urban Western culture. (cf. neo-paganism)? —Stef Jones
Pseudo-shamanism: A term applied to non-ecstatic visionary traditions such as those found among many Native Americans in North America. —Dean Edwards
Core Shamanism: A term used by Michael Harner and others associated with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. As with "Shamanics" (see below), Core Shamanism seeks to identify and make available, to a wider contemporary audience, the core techniques of the shaman as they have been used for millennia in cultures around the world. —Dean Edwards
The Harner Method:
- There are two keys to doing shamanic work:
- Achieving an altered state of consciousness The state of consciousness that allows you to access non-ordinary reality is one in which the waking mind is distracted or tuned out. There are many ways to achieve this: repetitious sound or movement, hypnosis, heat, sensory deprivcation, psychotropic drugs, maintaining a specific posture, lucid dreaming. The method I (and most Harner-method advocates) use most frequently is repetitious sound in the form of a steady drumbeat.
- Maintaining an intention Shamanism is really a system of healing or obtaining knowledge, and it seems to work best when used for that purpose. Journeying tends to work best if it's undertaken on behalf of another person. In some cases, however, one can journey on one's own behalf, especially if one has a specific intention in mind. Journeying just for the purpose of "poking around in non-ordinary reality" doesn't seem to work as well for most people.
The best way I have found to maintain an intention is to write down or otherwise keep in mind a specific question or purpose as you begin your journey.
Recommended reading:
Michael Harner, The Way of the Shaman, 3d Ed., Harper & Row: 1990
Sandra Ingerman, Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self, HarperSanFrancisco, 1991 —Stef Jones
Shamanics: A term used by Kenneth Meadows which focuses on many of the essential elements and practices of shamanic experience and states of consciousness. The purpose of this metaphysical approach to shamanism is to make these essential aspects and experiences of the extraordinary available to people living ordinary lives. These have been removed from their "social, religious and cultural contexts. Similar to Harner's Core Shamanism, it makes use of drumming, rattles and tapes to induce a type of mental traveling or "Journey" into other realms and altered states of consciousness. —Dean Edwards
Kenneth Meadows defines Shamanics as: "A personal development process which incorporates the essence of universal shamanism—the ancient wisdom of the visionaries and "Wise Ones" of many cultures and traditions into a Science of living for Modern Times that is the most practical of all metaphysical systems. A way of experienced and revealed knowledge that is motivated by the Spirit enabling individuals to relate to Nature and come into harmony with the totality of their own being and find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in their own lives." (Kenneth Meadows, Where Eagles Fly, pages 240-1, 1995.)
Techno-shamanism: The use of technology to enhance and enter into shamanic "altered states of consciousness". These range from the hemispheric synchronization of the Monroe institute which uses a binaural beat and following frequency response to other forms of electronic stimulation of the nero-muscular system and the use of bio-feedback, EEG and PET scans, other neuromuscular monitoring devices or stimulation by chemical agents artificially synthesized in a laboratory. Any or all of these may be used to monitor and assist in inducing ecstatic deep trance states found in traditional shamanism. This is a popular term and is not yet found in literature about shamanism. —Dean Edwards
The belief that new information technologies such as the net can be used in the practice of shamanism (?) —Stef Jones
Shamanic Tradition: Systems of religious and spiritual practice of shamans become traditions over time which are passed on from shaman teacher to shaman apprentice. These usually contain the a specialized knowledge and understanding of the lore of the community being served; recognizing the presence of Spirit and of natural and elemental forces, guiding, helping, ancestor and teaching spirits; blessings, charms, wards and ceremonies; methods of divination; the means for creating or obtaining the costume and equipment necessary for the performance of shamanic responsibilities, initiatory rites; and techniques of shamanic flight and access to other realms and states of consciousness. In addition, there are some aspects of these traditions which may also be learned in dreams or while in trance state or from direct observation of Nature and of life in the community. In some instances, a community may be without a shaman to pass on these traditions. When this occurs and direct instruction by experienced shamans is not possible, the new shaman must reacquire the continuity of the shamanic tradition from dreams, inner journeys and observation as the primary sources of his or her training. —Dean Edwards
The practice of shamanism within a particular culture. —Stef Jones
Siberian Complex: The native cultural traditions of Siberia, an the Finnic peoples of Norther Europe. —Dean Edwards
Circumpolar Shamanic Tradition: The native traditional shamanic systems and practices of shamans of the Arctic and Subarctic regions. —Dean Edwards
Post-Shamanic: While shamanism may be readily identified among many hunting and gathering peoples and in some traditional herding societies, identifying specific groups of individuals who might be called shamans is a difficult task in more stratified agricultural and manufacturing based societies. A society may be said to be Post- Shamanic when there are the presence of shamanic motifs in its traditional folklore or spiritual practices indicate a clear pattern of traditions of ascent into the heavens, descent into the nether- worlds, movement between this world and a parallel Otherworld, are present in its history. Such a society or tradition may have become very specialized and recombined aspects of mysticism, prophecy and shamanism into more specialized or more 'fully developed' practices and may have assigned those to highly specialized functionaries. When such practices and functionaries are present or have replaced the traditional shamans found in historical or traditional shamanism the use of Post-shamanic is appropriate. (See Shamanism-General Overview for more information.) —Dean Edwards
Source:
1. The Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna
2. soc.religion.shamanism FAQ by Dean Edwards
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URL:
http://deoxy.org/define/Shamanism hyperdictionary—index |